The Cataclysmic Departure of Earth from the Solar System: A Severe Survival Scenario

Imagine a Jupiter-sized rogue planet that slingshots Earth out of our solar system. This scenario might sound far-fetched, but let’s explore the hypothetical journey of humanity and the icy, lifeless future that could unfold. Can such a disaster happen? What would the experience be like for humanity? How long would it take for Earth to grow dark? And how long would humans survive?

Can a Rogue Planet Eject Earth from the Solar System?

For a rogue planet to enter our solar system and eject Earth, it would need to interact with our Sun, causing it to accelerate due to gravitational attraction. If the planet weren’t moving very fast initially, by the time it reached the inner solar system, it would be traveling at a much higher speed. This rapid velocity makes it highly unlikely that it would collide directly with Earth. Instead, it might cause perturbations in the orbits of comets and asteroids. However, escaping the solar system through direct interaction with a rogue planet is improbable.

For Earth to be ejected, the rogue planet might graze Jupiter, transferring some of Jupiter's momentum to Earth. This would throw us out of our orbit, but the radiation from the collision would likely eliminate life on Earth before it could occur. Alternatively, the rogue planet might slingshot Earth into a lower orbit, where Earth would be exposed to increased radiation from the Sun, leading to a hazardous environment.

The Long Journey from Earth to Pluto

Assuming Earth survived the collision and the radiation from the rogue planet, how long would it take for Earth to become dark and lifeless? To escape the solar system, Earth would need to achieve an escape velocity of approximately 42 km/s, which is about 13 km/s faster than its current orbital speed. At this speed, it would take a decade or more for Earth to cross Pluto’s orbit.

During this time, the heat input from the Sun would gradually decrease. While fossil fuels and geothermal energy could provide temporary shelter from the cold, the surface would become increasingly inhospitable. Rivers and lakes would freeze, and snow would blanket everything. As the oceans began to freeze, they would reflect more sunlight, leading to further cooling. Humans, while resourceful, might not survive the first few years. The surface of the planet would grow dangerously cold, and most life forms would perish.

The More Likely Scenario

The more plausible outcome of a close encounter with a rogue Jupiter-like planet would be that the planets and moons remain in their current orbits, with minor, stabilizing perturbations. However, the disruption would lead to an increase in cometary activity in the inner solar system. These comets, pelted by the rogue planet, would cause significant damage to Earth and nearby planets, potentially eradicating life as we know it.

While the escape velocity and collision with a rogue planet might seem like a distant and unlikely scenario, the consequences are catastrophic. The stability of the solar system we know today is delicate, and a single event could lead to a cascade of devastating outcomes. The survival of humanity would be highly improbable in such a scenario, and even if some humans managed to survive initially, the long-term effects of the ensuing environmental changes would likely make life unsustainable.